Tag Archive for: Publishing

The Tote Bag Book

Tote Bag Book Foyles Book Shop

Tote Bag Book Foyles Book Shop

The Tote Bag Book I had written was officially published today. I was happy and excited, I was eager to see it in the book shop, I popped down to Foyles book shop on Charring Cross Road, London to see it on the book shelf. Seeing the book for real, being able to pick it up and flick through it, was an amazing feeling. All the hard work I had put into the project which involved.

Successfully pitching a book proposal to Laurence King Publishing, and then conducting research and contacting design companies with requests to submit work Shortlisting 130 design works for inclusion and writing 20,000 words of copy before developing the design and layout Personally project managing the entire delivery of The Tote Bag Book from concept through to packaging.

The hard work over 6 Months was worth the effort. I liked being recognised as a published writer by my peers and writing about a subject which I believed in being important enough to bring to the mainstream was a dream come true.

While writing and researching the book, I had made new friends in the design sphere. This was one of the benefits of writing the book which was valued to me. I got to know new designers and their work, some very talented people who I have become friends with. The book was also a opportunity to reach out to designers who I admired because of their style of their work which appealed to me and I was also a fan of, these artists included such names as Sarah J. Coleman, Julia Pott, Gemma Shiel, Bart Aalbers and Angus Hyland

I Have taken some time out to illustrate and design prints for tote bags, these are all hand pulled artworks which will soon be able to buy through my online shop. Some of my readers will already be aware that I have written and designed a book specifically on tote bags, which is soon to be published By Laurence King Publishing. I will post more news about the project soon.

I took inspiration and knowledge of tote bag graphics from the designers I write about on my Tote Bag Blog. I chose to illustrated a simple one colour image prints for the canvas tote bags as I find that one colour prints are cost effective as well at the same time they translate well on to canvas tote bags.

I hired some time at a screen printing studio to print my tote bag prints on to the canvas bags. To screen print relies on a process. firstly you have to prime the screen ready to be exposed with your design, the next stage is to expose the screen with the black and white image of your artwork, after exposing the silk screen, wash the excess to expose your design. The screen is now ready to be screen printed with. I had pull each of the designs on to the tote bags, which was a very hands on process and something which I usually am not use to, however it was great to move away from designing on the computer.

Guardian Review Autograph Artwork

Guardian Newspaper India

The Guardian Review, was interested in commissioning me to create an illustration for them for the upcoming article written by Amit Chauhudri. The article is for the London Book Fair that is taking place at Earls Court between 20th 22nd April 2009. The London Book Fair Market Focus highlights the Indian publishing industry.

This is Amit Chaudhuri celebrating the great Indian literature throughout the Indian continent, which does not to reach western bookshelves because of the lack of translation, understanding as well as minimal marketing. There are so many different languages being represented. The illustration I felt had to include different Indian literary elements intertwined in my floral and line work.

I used the outline of India as the backdrop of the illustration. I choose India because it prominent and easily recognizable shape and quickly translates the synopsis of the article written by Amit Chaudhuri. The review Editor was very interested in a conceptual approach, I was allowed explore. The emphasis should be on Indian script (Sanskrit) with vibrant colours, as well as imagery of holy Indian deities. The illustrated Indian iconography was interwoven with my floral and swirl line style to connect the illustration up as a whole.